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A Better Balance is Possible Between Trade & Environment

Sierra Club Canada's Trade and Environment Campaign is centered on the mounting evidence that unfettered economic globalization and its agenda of free trade, de-regulation, and privatization implemented over the past two decades without public consultation, has had a devastating impact on our immediate environment, the ecosystems of the planet and broader planetary cycles that are now deeply out of balance from pollution, depletion of resources and excessive CO2 and other emissions. The Trade and Environment Campaign focuses on: (i) the cascade of bi-lateral and internal FTAs being pushed through without adequate consultation or impact studies (ii) the imperative of re-negotiating NAFTA, and all free trade agreements, iii) working to rid all trade agreements of the unjust, undemocratic and unsustainable NAFTA Chapter 11 investor state mechanism, and iv) working towards fairer trade models and sustainable economic systems. The Trade and Environment Campaign works to increase awareness of how globalization, free trade and NAFTA impact the environment and ecosystems and works with the membership and other national NGO´s and coalitions to oppose trade agreements that are harmful to the environment, local economies, and sovereignty.

by Blair Redlin ·February 4th, 2014. On Feb. 3rd, I made a presentation in Vancouver to the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade on the proposed Canada/E.U. trade deal (C.E.T.A.). I was there on behalf of CUPE B.C.The Committee, chaired by Alberta Conservative M.P. Rob Merrifield, was in B.C. to review both C.E.T.A. and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (T.P.P.)... Read more »

Agence Europe reports, "France believes that a state to state dispute settlement mechanism is enough under the transatlantic trade and investment partnership (TTIP). ...France 'is not in favour' of including in the agreement a settlement mechanism for disputes between the investor and state, as (French minister for trade Nicole) Bricq believes that a state to state dispute mechanism 'is enough'. France is not alone on this issue - Germany is also 'very reluctant', Bricq says."Photo: French trade minister Nicole Bricq. Photo from SIPA.

The news report also says, "Bricq welcomed the (European) Commission's initiatives to ensure more transparency in the negotiations via a consultative experts' group at the European level and the launch of a public consultation on the protection of investments."... Read more »

Zach Dyer. The Tico Times Feb 10. After months of saber rattling, Infinito Gold, Ltd. announced Monday that it had filed for a Request for Arbitration with a World Bank court in its protracted dispute with the Costa Rican government over the canceled Las Crucitas gold mining concession. The concession was revoked in 2010 following environmental concerns and doubts about the concession’s legality. ... Read more »

22 January 2014,Brid Brennan. Transnational corporations, particularly gas & oil industry, and banking have continued to benefit extraordinarily from the ongoing economic and financial crisis, says Brid Brennan, who presents TNI's State of Power Report 2014 at the Public Eye Awards in Davos.